Children getting "chocolate wasted" is usually one of a parent's biggest concern around Halloween. However, parents may be overlooking the dangers of the costume itself. Face paint can potentially harm a child.
Whether your child plans to draw on a few cat whiskers or completely paint themselves over as an oompa-loompa, parents should be aware of the contents of the face paint that may contain toxins.
Most face paints are require approval by Food and Drug Administration New York Senator Chuck Schumer is calling for tighter regulations and testing for "toxic ingredients."
As of now, the FDA does not conduct routine checks of cosmetic products or face paints that can contain heavy metals like lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium, cites New York Daily News.
"Every Halloween we worry about the candy we're putting in our kids' mouths, but nowadays, we need to worry about the face paint we're putting on our kids' faces," Schumer told New York Daily News. "Toxic Chinese chemicals in children's Halloween makeup and face paint is a scary thought, and yet, often times, parents don't even know what's in these products."
According to a report conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2009, 6 out of 10 face paints contained dangerous chemicals while 10 out of the10 face paints checked by the group all contained heavy metals, like the aforementioned lead, nickel, cobalt, and chromium. All of these metals are known skin allergens.
According to the Daily News, "the FDA also does not require companies to list heavy metals or other harmful contaminants on product labels, even though they are commonly found in a wide array of personal care products." Medical Daily reports, that these products contain levels of chemicals that far exceed the FDA recommended amount.
Schumer is asking for the FDA to require companies to list clearly list the ingredients on the packaging for face paints and other cosmetics primarily because lead isn't currently banned from makeup sold in the U.S.
"The U.S. is simply not doing enough to protect our children from these harmful ingredients, and that's a scary thought," Schumer said to NY Daily News.
That being said, parents need to be cautious when purchasing face paint and avoid leaving with products that have any "suspect" looking ingredients.